WBAL's Miller: 'Penn State is in my DNA'

Channel 11/WBAL chief investigative reporter Jayne Miller is up for election as a member of the board of trustees of Penn State University. She's a 1976 journalism graduate of the school.

In November, she posted the following in her "In Jayne Miller's Mind" blog: "Penn State is in my DNA. My grandfather played football there. My father played on the baseball team. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews -- all of us are Penn State graduates and consider ourselves better off for the education and experience we received. But the scandal that now clouds this proud institution demands swift, firm, and yes, painful action."

Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik said, "I think Penn State is lucky to have an investigative reporter like Miller who is willing to put her reputation on the line by joining the board as the school seeks to restore its credibility."

Miller said her Penn State board work would not affect her reporting work at WBAL-TV.

Almost 90 candidates are running for three seats on Penn State's Board of Trustees. Interest is up this year because of the board's actions after assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested in November, including the firing of late head coach Joe Paterno.

***

Radio trade publication Inside Radio considers CBS Radio's Baltimore sports talker WJZ-FM, 105.7 The Fan one of the firm's top performers in the format.

In an article on its site, Inside Radio wrote: "Just because (WJZ-FM) no longer broadcasts Ravens play-by-play doesn't mean The Fan didn't benefit from the Ravens' run-up to the Jan. 22 AFC Championship game against the Patriots. It marched 4.5-5.2 to a station-best (rating in the age) 6+ (demo) high that put it in fifth place. That's ahead of the Hearst stations that carry Ravens play-by-play: active rock 98 Rock WIYY (4.1-4.9) and news/talk/sports WBAL (3.8-4.0)."

***

The January monthly radio ratings for Baltimore, ages 12 and older, show that CBS sports talker 105.7 The Fan finished in fifth place.Hearst news talker WBAL, 1090 AM, which runs sports talk shows in the evening, placed eighth.

Washington, D.C., sports talker WTEM, otherwise known as ESPN 980, was tied for 35th place in the Baltimore market numbers with CBS's WJZ-AM, ESPN 1300.

***

The Washington Wizards have the second-lowest TV ratings in the NBA, according to stats from sportsbusinessdaily.com.

The team is drawing an average rating of 1.13 on Comcast SportsNet, ahead of only the New Jersey Nets.

Dan Steinberg at washingtonpost.com wrote: "The Wizards' average household audience of 27,000 is ahead of three other teams: the small-market Bobcats, Bucks, and Grizzlies. The Nats last season, you might recall, averaged 29,000 households in the D.C. market on MASN and MASN2, meaning the Wizards have at least temporarily slipped to fourth among D.C.'s pro teams. And the Wizards' year-to-year ratings decline of 19.9 percent is the fourth-biggest drop in the NBA."

***

Legendary former Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson Jr. did his last show for sports talker WTEM, ESPN 980, on Feb. 29. He'd been heard on the station for 13 years.

With him on the final show were Rick "Doc" Walker, who'll be taking over the afternoon time slot, plus Al Koken, Chris Johnson and Brian Mitchell.

***

CBS Radio has a three-year renewal deal with Virginia Tech for continued carriage of football and men's basketball on D.C.-area sports talker 106.7 The Fan, WJFK.

The Lanham-based sports talker will also continue to carry weekly shows with football coach Frank Beamer and men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg.

***

WBAL-AM's Jay Cottrell and ESPN 980, WTEM's Marc Sterne are now doing a sports radio show, "The Mod Squad," for internet radio site blis.fm from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

***

The University of Maryland hosted a panel discussion about the life and work of legendary Washington Post sports columnist Shirley Povich on Feb. 28.

He's the father of D.C. TV legend and tabloid TV talk show host Maury Povich.

Those appearing at the event included Tony Kornheiser, David Aldridge, Don Graham, Ben Bradlee and, of course, Maury. George Solomon moderated the event.